Original D&D Discussion - "Mapping out" a Boot Hill adventure

willmark
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Re: "Mapping out" a Boot Hill adventure
« Reply #15 on Jul 6, 2012, 6:16am »

This idea has a lot of merit. The problem is that most people are in the dungeon setting mindset of "open door kill monster..." For games of another genre you have to detox from that mindset. The classic westerns are character interaction driven, not open sandbox play per say. People say Deadlands is a hit for the fact that it added monsters and magic. Well no, its not a western. its D&D with western trappings.

In order for a western adventure or module to succeed you'll need a script and allow for deviation ('natch") but needs to be a more focused on characters rather then a "dungeon". That's where I think some folks recoil like vampires with garlic, the fact that a western module needs to be more structured then free form.

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revgunn
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Re: "Mapping out" a Boot Hill adventure
« Reply #16 on Sept 4, 2012, 5:00pm »

I went through a period of gaming back in the '90s where I had a series of really awful GM's. We were dragged through plots by our noses. At one point, I wondered why he and/or she didn't just tell us what our character's actions were.

As a result, when I see the word "scripted" or whatever... I might tend to over react.

I vowed that I would never subject players to those railroad games, at any time.

My GM style has become:

Here are a bunch of NPC's, with as much personality as I can give them. They are doing stuff. Should the players get involved in that stuff, helping or opposing, that's the game. What the players do or get involved in becomes the plot.

I do not poke or prod or anything like that. They take whatever path they want.

I do have NPC's retaliate if attacked, and as intelligently or as ruthlessly as those characters are. The dice fall where they may, and I've overwhelmed the Players a few times. They ran away. Smart. No "game balance" or "threat level" or... "for characters level 4-6" here. You go mess with the big boys, you could get killed.

This topic is the only way I would run a Western, and most likely the only way I would run another genre as well. It just works for me.

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Cameron DuBeers
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Re: "Mapping out" a Boot Hill adventure
« Reply #17 on Sept 4, 2012, 5:11pm »

The neat thing about BH is that everyone is basically the same level, and the referee can use some really well-established clichés to let the players know they're dealing with a killer.

"The tall man in black doesn't react when you walk into the bar, but you get the feeling he notices you all the same. With an economy of motion, the stranger picks up his drink and takes a slow sip. His gun belt looks well-worn, the six-shooters worn from much use ..."

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willmark
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Re: "Mapping out" a Boot Hill adventure
« Reply #18 on Sept 4, 2012, 5:15pm »

Sept 4, 2012, 5:00pm, revgunn wrote:

I went through a period of gaming back in the '90s where I had a series of really awful GM's. We were dragged through plots by our noses. At one point, I wondered why he and/or she didn't just tell us what our character's actions were.

As a result, when I see the word "scripted" or whatever... I might tend to over react.

I vowed that I would never subject players to those railroad games, at any time.

My GM style has become:

Here are a bunch of NPC's, with as much personality as I can give them. They are doing stuff. Should the players get involved in that stuff, helping or opposing, that's the game. What the players do or get involved in becomes the plot.

I do not poke or prod or anything like that. They take whatever path they want.

I do have NPC's retaliate if attacked, and as intelligently or as ruthlessly as those characters are. The dice fall where they may, and I've overwhelmed the Players a few times. They ran away. Smart. No "game balance" or "threat level" or... "for characters level 4-6" here. You go mess with the big boys, you could get killed.

This topic is the only way I would run a Western, and most likely the only way I would run another genre as well. It just works for me.

Yeah I kinda figured some DM scared your psyche.

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